Meet the Nonprofits

Spellers Freedom Foundation is a 501c3 charitable foundation whose mission is to provide every nonspeaker with access to communication via scholarships, school trainings, community building, and advocacy.

Donations directly help nonspeakers access communication and build the army of spellers making systemic change on behalf of themselves and others.

Spellers Ohana

Stepping into adulthood can be daunting for anyone.

As a nonspeaker, whose potential has been greatly overlooked, the road comes with some unique challenges. While you’ve been living under the care and support of your family, both you and your parents realize that having a life outside of home is not only needed, it’s necessary. Having a life of your own, getting a college education, and participating in meaningful employment are all parts of your incredible future that’s just waiting to unfold.

Welcome to your Ohana, a Hawaiian word for the family we choose, where no one gets left behind. Here we focus on the whole person, cultivating life-long opportunities for meaningful connection, self-directed autonomy, and purposeful contribution. We understand the unique challenges nonspeakers face because we are an organization created by and for nonspeakers themselves.

Learn more and donate directly at Spellers Freedom Foundation

 

At the Autism Society of Oregon, our mission is to create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources to live fully. We are working to create a world where everyone is connected to the support they need, when they need it. We serve all ages throughout the entire state of Oregon, with no charge for our services and programs, and no membership fees. All donations are tax-deductible. 

Learn More at Autism Society of Oregon

~~~~~~~~~

Next Step Strategies Inc is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support independent living for adults that experience disabilities. Next Step Strategies Inc was founded by Ann Wilkinson Ph.D., as she saw a need to create a service agency focused on utilizing positive behavior supports and person-centered planning.  Empowering adults that experience disabilities to live at their highest level of independence. 

As a nonprofit, we reinvest our resources in We Build Unique Independent Lives Together (WeBUILT) communities for growth and scalability.  Ann’s journey with her own son, revealed gaps in available living opportunities for adults who experience disabilities.  Ann knew that traditional housing and group homes were not going to work for everyone.  There needed to be an alternative option that was going to provide natural supports to be successful in a community setting.  Ann developed a setting for predictability and consistency through the WeBUILT community.  Ann and Patrice Lester developed and executed building the first WeBUILT community in Clackamas, Oregon.  An intentional community focused on independent living, where everyone’s house is personalized and fits their sensory needs. The thought process was if we can get each person’s house just right, then everything else would be easier.  There are currently 26 residents that live at WeBUILT Clackamas.  Our process is innovative and creative, going beyond traditional practices fostering an environment for independent living and new experiences. 

Next Step Strategies Inc is primarily a word-of-mouth agency, with less than 2% turn over.  We pride ourselves in providing 100% covered health, dental, and vision insurance for all full-time staff members, as well as opportunities for continued training.    

We look forward to supporting this incredible organization with ten percent of every purchase through January 2023!

The More Than Project was co-founded in 2021 by Kate Swenson and Amanda DeLuca. With both women being special needs mothers, they understood the stress, exhaustion, and struggle that comes with special needs caregiving and wanted to serve others with the support they wish they had years ago. As time went on, they recognized that supporting the caregiver was important, but they also wanted to explore avenues to support the special needs family unit as a whole. This inspired the More Than Project as the overseeing body for More Than a Caregiver, More Than a Sibling, and More Than a Teacher. Each of these programs provide support for caregivers in various forms, from reducing barriers to access mental health counseling, to providing sibling scholarships, to gifting teachers across the country with sensory equipment for their classrooms, and so much more.

We are so excited to send ten percent of every purchase made at Little Rebels with a Cause to this incredible nonprofit through the summer!

You can learn more and donate directly  at: https://www.findingcoopersvoice.com/foundation/

A Doll Like Me

We are beyond excited to introduce A Doll Like Me! Through spring, ten percent of every purchase at Little Rebels with a Cause will go to this wonderful organization.

A Doll Like Me was born out of the idea that our unique differences make us beautiful. At the very heart of this organization is the idea that children need to see themselves in the toys that they play with.

Dolls are important in play, growing imagination, and they help children make sense of their world. They can help children cope with stressful situations and, most importantly, they can help a child feel confident in who they are. Because of that, dolls should look like the children who love them!  

Owner/Founder Amy Jandrisevits makes each unique doll by hand to look just like the beautiful child who will receive it. Her work is magical. She sees the beauty in all children and captures it in the sweet face of a doll.

Medical costs often mean "extras" are out of reach for families, so A Doll Like Me relies on donations to ensure that dolls remain free of charge for those receiving them.  Visit ADollLikeMe.com to learn more or donate directly.

    

Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) provides life-changing outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities.  OAS works to remove the barriers to the outdoors to empower athletes of all ages and abilities to gain confidence, resilience, and independence.  OAS serves hundreds of individuals through 10 year-round outdoor sports including the Pacific Northwest's leading adaptive ski programs at Mt Bachelor and Hoodoo ski areas!  OAS also offers all programs at low or no cost to athletes, which is only possible thanks to its generous donors and sponsors!

For more information or to donate directly: oregonadaptivesports.org

 

NW Disability Support has two programs, All Born (in) (ABI) and Northwest Down Syndrome Association (NWDSA).

ABI is cross-disability work with a mission in pursuit of an inclusive civil society. They empower and support families and individuals whose lives have been touched by developmental disability. They work to increase education, promote public understanding and acceptance, advocate for full inclusion, and defend the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. Their values are the core of the organization and the basis for how they make decisions to support their mission.

NWDSA's mission is to create and nurture a loving and inclusive community celebrating every person with a disability, including Down syndrome.

For more information or to donate directly: nwdisabilitysupport.org